Our commitment to your privacy

This privacy policy tells you the ways in which we collect personal information about you when you engage with us and what the information may be used for. It also covers our commitment to the individuals featured in our photography and media.

If you want to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you, or ask us to update or correct any information, please contact us at [email protected].

Information we may hold about you

Personal information

We may collect information from you when you engage with us. Examples of personal information include:

  • Name, job title, and organisation.
  • Contact details (address, telephone number, email address).
  • Date of birth, age, and third-party contact details.
  • Visual information (photographs and video footage in which you are identifiable).
  • Skills, credit card, and other payment details.

Sensitive personal information

Sensitive personal information is personal information relating to your religious or ethnic origin, religious or political opinions, sexual orientation, physical or mental health, trade union membership or criminal convictions.

We don’t ask for sensitive personal information about you. However, we cannot guarantee that we will not come into possession of such information. For example, you may include some sensitive personal information in an email, bulletin board message or online form which you submit to us.

We will not do anything with your sensitive personal information unless you ask us to or unless we need to in order to fulfill your request.

Image Rights and Photography

We are committed to the dignity and privacy of the individuals we work with, particularly our partners and community members in Kenya. We operate in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Kenyan Data Protection Act (2019).

  • Consent: We strive to ensure that every identifiable person featured in our photography has provided informed, written consent. For children under the age of 18, we obtain consent from a parent or legal guardian.
  • Dignity and Representation: We choose images that represent individuals with respect and agency.
  • International Transfer: As a UK-based organisation, images collected in Kenya are transferred to the UK for use on our website and global communications.
  • Your Right to Removal: If you, or a child you are the guardian of, appear in a photograph on this website and you wish for it to be removed, we will do so immediately. Please contact [email protected] or our Data Protection Officer with a description of the image.

How do we use your information?

We use the personal information we hold about you only for the following purposes:

  1. To provide our services to you and administer our relationship.
  2. To tell our story: We use photography and film to demonstrate the impact of our reforestation and education projects and to encourage support for our mission.
  3. To contact you about other products, services, or events: We may use your contact details to communicate with you on social media or via email. If at any time you wish to opt-out, email: [email protected].
  4. If disclosures are required by law.

    If required to do so by any applicable law, search warrant, subpoena or court order, or by any regulation, treaty or other legally binding obligation with which The Word Forest Organisation is required to comply, we will disclose some or all of your personal information as and to the extent that it is required to do so.

Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to find out how people use our website in order to make improvements. Google Analytics uses cookies, small text files which are placed on your hard drive to store information, however the cookies do not have access to or use any personally identifiable information.

Sale/exploitation of personal information by third parties

We will not sell, rent, or distribute personal information to any third party, except for the purposes described in this policy (such as providing your address to a supplier for a purchase) or with your prior permission.

Data security

We use a number of mechanisms to protect the security and integrity of your personal information. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure. So while we strive to protect such information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us and you do so at your own risk. Once any personal information comes into our possession, we will take reasonable steps and all other precautions required by law to protect that information from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

Links to other websites

This website contains links to the websites of other organisations which may be of interest to you. Linked websites are responsible for their own privacy practices. This privacy policy only applies to this website.

Contacting us

If you would like a copy of the personal information we hold about you, please write to the Data Protection Officer, The Word Forest Organisation Unit 1, St. Michael’s Business Centre, Church Street, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3DB, stating your full name and providing us with sufficient information to verify your identity.

Please also help us to respond quickly by indicating why you think we hold personal information about you and what information you think we may hold.

Please note that no access fee will be charged for reasonable access requests, however we retain the right to charge for repeat or excessive requests.

Sometimes there may be a reason why access will not be possible. If that is the case, you will be told why.

Correcting your details

If you would like us to correct or update your personal information in our records, please email us at: [email protected]

Comments or questions about our privacy policy

If you have any comments or questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to report any violation of this Privacy Policy, please email us at: [email protected]

Request to stop future contact

If you do not want to be contacted in the future by us please email us at: [email protected]

Consent to collection and use of personal information

By using this website you acknowledge that you have read the terms of this privacy policy and that you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this privacy policy.

Changes to this privacy policy

We reserve the right to remove or amend this privacy policy from time to time.

If we decide to replace or change it, we will post a new policy or the changes to this privacy policy on this page and we encourage you to visit this page frequently to stay informed. By visiting this page on The Word Forest Organisation website following the posting of a new policy or changes to this privacy policy will indicate your acceptance of the new policy or these changes, as the case may be.

This policy is effective from 20th February, 2026.

You can contact us any time about this Privacy Policy.